nitrite

[kagal]

I need some more help again.....
I figured out why the rams are looking pale..../the nitrites are of the scale. I cant keep the nitrites in check. there is no amonia at all....the hardness is fine but these nitrites are killing my fish...i have lost 1 angel and 4 rams......please help before the death toll rises

 

[ronrca]

Do water changes to bring the nitrites down! You can also add treatments such as Sea Chem water treatment for chlorine and also ammonina and nitrites. Is the tank new?

 

[kagal]

I cant do a water change because that would start the process all over again. this is an established tank. nothing new has been added except a few fish....and it gets worse after i do water changes. i also have added a pouch called nitri-zorb.

 

[ronrca]

By doing to water change, the cycle should not restart because the bacteria is not in the water itself but in the gravel/filter! How many fish did you add? Maybe it was too much at once. The best would be to change water to keep the NH and NO2 down.

 

[ronrca]

Another thing, dont feed your fish for a day or two. Helps keep the waste down. And you start feeding again, make sure that all the food is eaten. Remove any that is not. Clean the tank clean. Vacuum the gravel everyday to remove any uneaten food and also fish waste. Much sure your filter is operating at 100%.

 

[Ovrclckd]

[quote author=kagal link=board=cichlid&num=992227889&start=0#2 date=06/11/01 at 09:53:45]
I cant do a water change because that would start the process all over again. this is an established tank. nothing new has been added except a few fish....and it gets worse after i do water changes. i also have added a pouch called nitri-zorb.

[/quote]

That tank is not established... you will never see ammonia or nitrites in an established tank, barring extreme conditions. Let the tank sit till its cycled. Water changes will remove the nitrites, while it will lower them, it will also slow the cycle. Do nothing and get it over with. The fish are already damaged... ammonia and nitrite damage is generally permanent. Leave the fish and let the tank cycle.

 

[kagal]

this tank has been cycled. its over 2 months up and running. i alreadt went through the massive nitrite spike  after 1 week....this is what is puzzling i added 4 rams to the mix.

 

[Matt Nace]

[quote author=ownedbykitten link=board=cichlid&num=992227889&start=0#5 date=06/11/01 at 13:09:53]


That tank is not established... you will never see ammonia or nitrites in an established tank, barring extreme conditions. Let the tank sit till its cycled. Water changes will remove the nitrites, while it will lower them, it will also slow the cycle. Do nothing and get it over with. The fish are already damaged... ammonia and nitrite damage is generally permanent. Leave the fish and let the tank cycle.
[/quote]

So in other words..let the fish suffer and then die?
 Sure it will further the cycling, but why not take action to help the fish suffer less...even if they have some damage.

Action= Remove all fish, take them to the store or to a friend. Recycle without fish.

Action= remove the nitri-zorb. 50 % water change every day til nitites are below leathel or deadly on test kit.Do not change filter media or wash. Do not feed for 24 hous, feed very sparsley until cycled once a day. 0 ammonia. 0 Nitrites, a reading of nitrates.


After reading your other posts kagel, you were told on 5/20 that your tank was NOT cycled..then you go out and buy some Rams on  5/21.

If you dont listen to the suggestions...like wait till it cycles, then how can we help?

Maybe you are not sure of what cycled is?

 

[Matt Nace]

Answer this.
what are your Ammonia, Nitites, Nitrates?

what fish are in the tank, and how many gallons?

what filter do you have?

 

[ronrca]

You are correct Ruby! Im not sure either if he knows what "cycled" means! In reading his posts, it seem that he really rushed into the fish. But just take it easy Ruby! Dont kill the guy! Kagal, dont believe everything that your lfs says. I know that we have had numerous post about that topic. The best is to research the issues on the net. I certainly did and it has helped a lot. I can definitly give you some good web sites if you want! There are quite a few "myths" around that some of the lfs really  beleive in. Let me know. We are here to help. Thats what this site was intended to do.

 

[Matt Nace]

sorry..didn't mean to be harsh at all....


Besides..you really can't cycle a tank with dead fish....

 

[kagal]

ammonia    0
nitrates   0
nitrites   of the scale

55 gallon tank
millenium 3000 (rated for a 55 gallon tank)
undergravel filter powered by a powerhead

tank was setup ran for 4 days introduced 4 zebra danios and 1 cory. had the ammonia and nitrates and nitrites spike fish survived and thrived. i waited 2 weeks and added 2 ram and waited 2 more weeks added 4 angels and a few more rams....everything was still stable...then about 2 weeks later the rams started losing color. forgot to add that i removed the danios to strat my 20 gallon tank so they are out of this tank.
   through all this time weekly water changes of +/- 25%. usually every other change vaccuum gravel. this last change was about 60% to try and reduce some the nitrites. I am at a loss... I have noticed 1 thing there on 1 of the rocks i have. i have used these rocks for a cave network for the fish. i have what looks like gravel but is called rip rap. there is a purplish vein starting in this rock. I have removed this stone. I am wondering if this vein has done something to raise the nitrites.

 

[kagal]

forgot to add

i added another cory before the angels and the last of ther rams

 

[Matt Nace]

Just trying to cover all the bases...

Are you confusing the NitIte(NO2) with NitrAte(No3)?

ammonia-->nitrItes-->nitrAtes.

So you got ammonia, then nitItes(spike), then nitrates?

sorry the way you put it it seams so....but I am just making sure.

NitItes are deadly above 3.0ppm. Some fish cant even stand 1.0ppm.

NitrAtes are safe at 40ppm to 60 ppm...then become stressful after that.

DO you power your UGF with 2 powerheads?

Your gravel bed shouldn't be too deep to allow a good flow through it. Vacuum only half at a time.

Your water changing sounds fine, except the vacuuming I would do every time, half your gravel.

Regardless, either take the fish out, or keep the nitItes down.
Sorry again, if I sounded mean...should have put a smiley there.

 

[ronrca]

Im thinking that you added fish too soon and in only 2 week duration. I would recommend 4 weeks in between adding fish. Ammonia bacteria can reproduce every couple hours but itst the Nitrite bacteria that take the longest, 24-36 hours. By adding fish quickly, the bacteria cultural cannot keep up hence the spikes that you have been getting.

Another reason is uneaten food. When it decays, it also produces ammonia. That is why it is important to vacuum the gravel.

It also seems to me the your tank cycled very quickly. Did you use a fishless cycle? with established media/bacteria culture? Tanks normaly do not cycle in 2 weeks unless it fishless with established bacteria culture from another disease free tank. With what did you measure Nh, NO2 and NO3?

 

[ryanp15]

This is confusing! ;D You guys can lose a guy easily in here. Disregard my post on the other thread then about the "bleached looking rams". I didn't see this one yet.

Okay I don't know much about cycling as I didn't do it with my tanks. But before you guys kill me (;D) I must say I didn't know yet. I hadn't been informed and now I know. I did do the cycle with one of my ten gallons but don't have much experience with it. I do now have established tanks with good parameters and all of my fish have survived! I didn't add very many for a long time though cause I knew that wouldn't be good. See I'm not so dumb. ;D I do think you should remove your rams until the nitrites are down to normal. That way as not to damage them anymore. Isn't it funny how so many people have different opinions on things.

 

[kagal]

I found out what is going on with the nitrites...Its the LOCAL WATER. i stopped at another of the LFS and they are having the same problems with the nitrites. I also found out that the water authority has been adding amonia to the water. the LFS has to ship water from one of the owners relatives that has a well. they have to do a 75% well water to a 25% city water. they have been losing lots of fish. until they figured out it was the water. hardness and nitrites after water changes were good. and then skyrocketed the day after.